From 10th to 21st May, Ryoichi Suzuki, Deputy Executive Director, JOICFP, was dispatched by JICA to Bangladesh. Suzuki is an advisor for GO-NGO collaboration in Narsingdi District under the Human Resource Development in Reproductive Health (HRDRH) project, which is coming to a close in August 2004.

After discussions and observations, Suzuki drafted a concept paper on GO-NGO collaboration for a safe motherhood project. This will be under new JICA technical cooperation in parallel with the new sector-wide program on health, nutrition and population under the new Strategic Investment Plan by all development partners, including JICA. Aiming to reduce Maternal Mortality Rate (MMR), Infant Mortality Rate (IMR) and Total Fertility Rate (TFR), in line with the MDGs, by promoting use of the national Essential Services Package (ESP), the project will draw lessons from HRDRH, and the CORHP implemented by JOICFP and Family Planning Association of Bangladesh (FPAB).

The paper emphasizes that the mechanism of GO-NGO collaboration delivering technical cooperation to meet the needs of the people must be integrated with the training of personnel for safe motherhood at the grassroots. To achieve this, service providers' capacity must be developed, communities empowered, sustainability taken into account, and best practices replicated to other areas as national policy.

CORHP steering committee meeting

On 15th May, the fourth meeting of the National Steering Committee for the CORHP was held at the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MOHFW), Bangladesh. Chaired by Waheed Khan, Joint Chief, Planning (MOHFW), the committee reviewed progress for fiscal year 2003, and approved the plan of action for FY2004.

Waheed Khan reiterated his desire for safe child delivery, mentioning the need for reduction of TFR and delivery by skilled birth attendants. Suzuki told the meeting that although the CORHP is a small project, its results could be visible at the national level and have an impact on government policy.

The CORHP National Steering Committee, chaired by Waheed Khan and with Takashi Sakamoto (left center) JICA Resident Representative as co-chairperson.